Poodle with Lens Luxation

Our 14 year old poodle's right eye started becoming cloudy. At first we thought that it was just age related. Within a weeks time it started getting really bad and knew we had to get her to the vet. Our vet said that she had lens luxation and that her lens had moved forward. She said that surgery was available but didn't really recommend it due to her age and sent us home with some eye drops and pills to keep her comfortable. After studying up on dog lens luxation I am beginning to think that I might need to get another opinion.Show more

What is lens luxation?

The crystalline lens is suspended behind the pupil where it helps to direct light rays onto the retina, where a visual image is formed. The lens is normally held in place by thin fibres called ‘zonules’.
In some patients, these zonules can break down and as a result, the lens becomes instable and starts to move within the eye. Initially, the lens is likely to only be a little bit ‘wobbly’ and it may sink towards the lower part of the pupil. This often happens without you noticing and only an experienced ophthalmologist is likely to be able to pick up the earliest signs of lens luxation with special eye examination equipment. However, with time, the lens may become fully detached and will start to move freely. If the lens falls into the back of the eye, it may not be noticed for quite some time – but it is more likely that the lens will slip into the front of the eye – where it becomes stuck between cornea and iris. This is likely to cause acute pain and vision loss and you may notice that your dog’s eye is sore and blue. Lenses that are trapped in the front of the eye are likely to cause increases in intraocular pressure - termed glaucoma – which can be blinding. Emergency treatment is usually required for lenses that have luxated into the front of the eye and your vet usually will try and recommend urgent referral upon diagnosis.

Have you had a dog that has had this? What are your thoughts?